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Is binge eating a disorder?
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Hi everyone, I don't post on here much but I don't really have anyone else to go to for advice (how sad does that sound) and I don't really feel ready to tell anyone face to face yet...
Okay, so for a while I've been trying to lose weight and get fit because I've got into the Army (Gods knows how) and I start January next year, but I'm lacking so much motivation. I'm 18, 5'1, and weigh about 137 pounds. It just seems like such a waste of time exercising because every time I try I see no difference. Some days I just think, 'right, i'm going to stick to 1300 cals a day and exercise.' So I eat healthily through out the day, which is easy because I go to college during the week and it keeps me busy. But for some reason I feel so sad and fed up all the time that by evening comes I just pig out on everything- biscuits, bread, just everything in sight. Afterwards I feel so guilty sometimes I cry, like today, I really broke down, I'm just so generally unhappy about my weight.
Then to make up for it, the next day I'd eat little but once again by the evening I just can't control myself and binge eat. It's like a vicious cycle and I just don't have the will power to break it.
I read somewhere recently on the internet that binge eating is an eating disorder... but I don't want to see a doctor or anything in case my start date for the army is put put back or I might not be allowed to join at all.
Is there any way I can tackle this at all?
Thanks in advance
Okay, so for a while I've been trying to lose weight and get fit because I've got into the Army (Gods knows how) and I start January next year, but I'm lacking so much motivation. I'm 18, 5'1, and weigh about 137 pounds. It just seems like such a waste of time exercising because every time I try I see no difference. Some days I just think, 'right, i'm going to stick to 1300 cals a day and exercise.' So I eat healthily through out the day, which is easy because I go to college during the week and it keeps me busy. But for some reason I feel so sad and fed up all the time that by evening comes I just pig out on everything- biscuits, bread, just everything in sight. Afterwards I feel so guilty sometimes I cry, like today, I really broke down, I'm just so generally unhappy about my weight.
Then to make up for it, the next day I'd eat little but once again by the evening I just can't control myself and binge eat. It's like a vicious cycle and I just don't have the will power to break it.
I read somewhere recently on the internet that binge eating is an eating disorder... but I don't want to see a doctor or anything in case my start date for the army is put put back or I might not be allowed to join at all.
Is there any way I can tackle this at all?
Thanks in advance
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But in the wider scope of psychiatry (for the SOLE purpose of usage by the professionals), it would be classified as 307.50 - 'Eating disorder not otherwise specified' under DSM-IV.
However, the reason I say that it's sole use is for professionals, is self diagnosese are a bad thing.
Just see a doctor and he'll refer you for suitable treatment.
Apologies I can't help more.. but that's the 'technical side'
Anyway i tend to suffer from this, not so much now thankfully. How is your general life, are you happy? the way i tackled my issue was recognizing when i was about to comfort eat, or boredom eat. and stop. It helps if you do eat properly during the day though. And not save all your hunger so to speak when you have access to alot of food i am guessing.
Did you see that programme on BBC? 10 Things you need to know about losing weight? That is very helpful. Here's some tips it suggests:
Eat soup - it leaves you feeling fuller for longer
Protien at breakfast - fills you up for longer.
Eat low fat calcium rich foods
I can't think of any more but I do know that snacking on healthy food like fruit throughout the helps you lose weight as you don't starve yourself.
I used to get that binge feeling when I was doing weight watchers as I wasn't eating enough of the right foods. Don't calorie count - just eat well. I'm the same weight as you roughly and slightly smaller so I know how it feels trying to lose weight. I also find that when I think I'm hungry, I'm not I'm just thirsty. So try having water before snacking, wait 10 minutes and if your still hungry - eat.
Good luck!
So, if the army is your goal, you need to sort out your attitude to not just your weight and your eating habits but your fitness.
Well generally I'm not really happy, no. I've found when a certain few people make me feel like shit I tend to eat my feelings as you put it Lol. But it's been going on way before this, before I met these people, but I think they're just making it worse. I think I know my problem, it's really deep and it's a whole mixture of things as to why I binge eat. I've had a bit of a depressing life really, and now that finally something good has come my way I just can't seem to cope....
Thanks for replying
Thank you very much for the tips! Recently I have been trying to drink more water to try and get rid of hunger, it works through the day just not in the evening. I'll watch the show you suggested
It sounds stupid, but I just CANT stop myself from eating some times, even though I know I'll regret it, and then I do.
If you find anything, tell me!
Sorry what does OP mean..?
Yeah I'm aware of that, my aim is to lose weight and become fitter by exercise, but my binge eating is putting me off exercising.
Thanks for replying! I'm so happy you understand
If I do find anything, I'll tell ya
OP=original post (or original poster)
I try and just have an apple or a banana or something, which sounds obvious but sometimes helps.
The other thing is have a drink of water, something like 50% of the time you think you are hungry, it is just thirst
OP = England Rocks has already explained.
What I'm suggesting is concentrate on your goal, i.e. the army. That means getting fit and that means exercise.
Forget your weight. Just forget it. Concentrate on your fitness. Because army fit is as fit as it gets.
If you are doing the exercise it takes to get army fit then you won't need to worry about your weight. It will all fall into place
On the other hand, if you have issues that are holding you back on your goals, then maybe you need outside advice. You may worry that will stymie your goals, but you are already doing that yourself (if those issues are beyond your control, I mean).
I always thought Compulsive Overeating (COE) was a recognised eating disorder within the medical field? (as it should be, it's just as dangerous)
If your symptoms don't meet the criteria for Bulimia Nervosa you could probably (going by the fact that it's causing you enough distress or functional impairment for you to be worried and asking about it) be diagnosed with Atypical Bulimia Nervosa (ICD-10) or Eating Disorder NOS (DSM-IV) instead. NOS diagnoses are very common in clinical practice; not meeting the criteria for any specific disorder that's currently defined in the DSM or other manual is not considered to mean that you don't have a problem or that you can't be successfully helped.
One of the posts that's stood out here is Sharon87s - when eating for health it really does boil down to quality rather than quantity. The better the quality, the more likely your body is not likely to want the quantity. Also, not everyones requirements are the same - particularly when accounting for what they do.
Are you able to tell us anything about the comments the few people say that push you towards the binge eating? Often these comments are unfounded towards the person they're aimed at but can be very difficult for that person to work against. It might not help much (kind of like easier to give advice than follow it), but if you can remember that they're generally unfounded it may help.
Lastly, you mention "every time I try I see no difference" about exercising. Are you checking your weight daily, less frequently or several times daily? A persons weight may take a general trend depending on their lifestyle but can fluctuate up and down over several consecutive readings making it discouraging. The other thing to remember is that if you're exercising regularly and eating healthily it's quite possible you're building muscle up at the expense of fat - which will actually result in weight gain rather than loss. Have you have your BMI properly checked? I say properly because some simple checks boil down to a height vs weight check which doesn't take in to account the body build.
Hope this helps